[destiel]

Hi, I'm an 18 year old female and I sort of believe I may have bipolar disorder. I have a question though. how spread out are episodes, typically? my mood can soar and plummet within minutes, and then be back again by the next hour. I know usually episodes are spread out over days or weeks, which is a reason I believe maybe I do no have bipolar disorder. many of the other symptoms fit, though. thank you!!

by the way, I am going to talk to my mom soon about possibly seeing someone to talk to about these symptoms. so I am working on getting it taken care of. I just hate taking action before I am positive there is something wrong.

hi - im similar to you - my hyper/manic times dont usually last for long periods

i had my first MH assessment and they said you can have combinations of things

have you looked at the personality disorder section on this site - it was interesting reading for me as a lot of what i feel fits there as well as here

good luck with your journey - ive just started mine (a few months ago) x

btw - i havent been diagnosed with anything yet, i think that can take time
x

[Picassoschild]

My hypo mania states don't last very long either. I tend to only be manic for a day or so then my depression would last for weeks sometimes. Sometimes I have mixed states where I'm manic and depressed at the same time.
It really depends on the person. I suggest starting a journal and tracking your feeling and how you feel that day. That way you are a little bit prepared for when you go see your therapist.

Good luck!

[Trippin2.0]

There are people who cycle rapidly, but 1 of the biggest misconceptions about bipolar is that it's solely about having moodswings, I know a few moody people, none of which are bipolar. In truth it's far more intensely complicated than soaring and plummeting. There are loads of physical sympoms present during each cycle, and IMO, it's these symptoms that cause our impairment. If you are experiencing rapid mood switches without any symptoms, you might want to research Borderline PD. If not, then I suggest you chart your moods, note symptoms and triggers and then in this way, you'll have more info when you go see a professional. Good luck

[A Phoenix Heart]

A true diagnosis can only be made by a professional. If you are truly concerned, you might want to investigate therapy.

But to tell you the truth, you can cycle pretty quickly through the moods. For instance, I am cyclothymic (aka soft bipolar according to some) and my hypomania typically lasts 3 to 6 days while my depressive states tend to last 5 to 10 days. There are several factors that play into the disorder as well. To be honest, there could be another disorder/anxiety involved instead. I originally went to therapy because I was having strange apathetic moods that I wasn't accustom to. I thought it would just be maybe some locked up angst or something, but it turned out it was cyclothymia and that I had probably been suffering with it for six years and it just escalated to a point I could not handle it on my own anymore. The point is, if you feel this is interfering with your life in any way it is healthy to seek help. The answers may surprise you.

I hope that helps. Take care of yourself

[destiel]

Thanks, everyone. I'll look into other disorders it might be. I do have other symptoms, primarily a decreased need for sleep (which I didn't even know was a symptom of bipolar), among others. but thanks a lot and I will definitely look more into other possibilities.